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Justice News

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of New Mexico

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Albuquerque Woman Sentenced to Eight Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking Conviction

ALBUQUERQUE – Reyna Carizoza, 51, a Mexican national illegally in the United States, was sentenced this morning to 97 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for her methamphetamine trafficking conviction. Carizoza will be deported after she completes her prison sentence.

Carizoza was arrested on a criminal complaint in April 2013, after law enforcement officers found methamphetamine in her vehicle following a traffic stop. She subsequently was indicted and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Court records reflect that the FBI initiated an investigation into Carizoza in April 2013, after an informant identified her as an Albuquerque-area drug trafficker. On April 26, 2013, the FBI directed the informant to make several recorded telephone calls to Carizoza during which the informant negotiated to buy four ounces of methamphetamine from Carizoza. Thereafter, law enforcement officers executed a traffic stop of Carizoza’s vehicle. After a narcotics canine “alerted” to the passenger side of the vehicle, officers found a bag containing approximately 64.7 grams of methamphetamine hidden in a toy that was in the vehicle. Carizoza was arrested and has been in federal custody since that time.

This case was investigated by the FBI’s Albuquerque Cross Border Drug Violence Hybrid Squad and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Holland S. Kastrin and Lynn W.Y. Wang.